Species guide · Florida
Atlantic tarpon fishing in Florida
Megalops atlanticus, an inshore species also called silver king, poon and sabalo. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys, Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 23 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM at 74, one of 31 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
South Florida and the Keys
Shoulder season, about 23 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Peak season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: Mar to Jun. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region
FWC notes tarpon concentrate in South Florida in winter. Migratory fish flood the Keys bridges, channels and oceanside flats March through June. Resident fish use Everglades rivers and Miami bridges and canals through winter, and the Palm Beach coast sees tarpon on the fall mullet run. Florida tarpon are catch and release unless the angler buys a harvest tag.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Eastern Gulf
Shoulder season, about 1 more week- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Off season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: May to Jul. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Sep.
Research notes, Eastern Gulf region
Boca Grande Pass and Charlotte Harbor, Tampa Bay and the Homosassa flats peak May through July. Fish spread to the Panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi in mid summer. Juveniles stay in southwest Florida canals and creeks year-round.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
South Atlantic
Peak season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Off season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Jul to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Oct.
Research notes, South Atlantic region
Atlantic migrants reach Georgia, South Carolina and Pamlico Sound in summer; South Carolina peaks July through September and is catch and release. The Indian River Lagoon from Stuart to Sebastian holds juveniles year-round and big fish on the fall mullet run.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 31
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's atlantic tarpon score this hour.
Best window today 6-9 PM (82) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 AM (87) · 22 named spots
Best window today 12-4 PM (71) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 12 PM (79) · 82 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (75) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 3 PM (79) · 92 named spots
Best window today 6-8 PM (77) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 AM (83) · 88 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (73) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (76) · 126 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (77) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 AM (84) · 4 named spots
Best window today 12-9 PM (70) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (77) · 109 named spots
Best window today 12-2 PM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 12 PM (76)
Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (69) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (79) · 199 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 AM (79) · 6 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (74) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (81) · 21 named spots
Best window today 4-9 PM (71) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (75) · 81 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (68) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (78)
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (66) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (75) · 24 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (68) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (75) · 46 named spots
Best window today 12-3 PM (64) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (72) · 39 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (65) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 11 PM (73) · 49 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 6 AM (74) · 79 named spots
Best window today 4-8 PM (63) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 AM (69) · 13 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (66) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (73) · 131 named spots
Best window today 5 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (72) · 23 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (74) · 20 named spots
Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (62) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (65) · 11 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (77) · 195 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (58) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 PM (71)
Best window today 7-9 PM (69) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (76) · 16 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (61) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 1 PM (67)
Best window today 5-8 PM (53) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (69)
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 5 PM (69)
Best window today 3-7 PM (52) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (61)
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 10 PM (70)
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 70°F to 95°F, best between 75°F and 88°F.
- Water depth
- 2 to 60 ft of water.
- Structure
- Pass, channel, bridge, beach, inlet, mangrove and flat, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers outgoing tide and incoming tide, with moderate current.Pass and bridge fishing is best on strong outgoing tides, especially around new and full moons when crabs flush out of the bays. Beach and flats fish are sight cast on moving water with enough light to see them. Tide matters less for fish rolling along open beaches.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
- Pressure
- Prefers steady pressure.
- Wind and sea limits
- 15 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
- Methods
- sight casting, live bait drifting, fly fishing, anchoring in passes, bridge fishing at night, trolling
- Lures
- soft plastic swimbait, jig, trolled spoon, suspending plug, tarpon fly (toad, streamer)
- Bait
- live pass crab, live mullet, pinfish, threadfin herring, pilchard, cut mullet
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 18, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.
No retention
Season: No closed season on file
Tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water. Special gear rules apply year-round in Boca Grande Pass. Hook and line only. No snagging, snatch hooking, spearing, or multiple hooks with natural bait. Applies in state and federal waters of the Gulf and Atlantic.
FWC Recreational Regulations: Tarpon · verified Sep 13, 2026
Other Florida species
- Atlantic croaker
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- Gray snapper
- King mackerel
- Red drum
- Southern flounder
- Spot
- Spotted seatrout
- Summer flounder
- Black drum
- Black sea bass
- Bonefish
- Cobia
- Florida pompano
- Gag grouper
- Gray triggerfish
- Greater amberjack
- Little tunny
- Mahi-mahi
- Permit
- Red grouper
- Red snapper
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spanish mackerel
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Yellowfin tuna
- Bluefish
- Striped bass